Font Resize
LAS CRUCES - Royal Jones loves to go fast because he finds it relaxing.
Jones, 57, might find it a little harder to find the time to take his laps this year at the Southern New Mexico Speedway, which he operates along with business partner Jimmie Ray. That's because, in addition to operating the speedway and a trucking company with about 1,100 employees and 1,000 trucks, he's close to fruition on a third project that has been four-years in the making.
All of this makes Jones a person to watch during the upcoming year.
His Global Alternative Fuels LLC takes waste cooking grease to produce biodiesel.
"We've been working on that thing for four years and we're finally producing fuel," the Anthony native said. "The coolest thing about it is we're now making it out of soybean oil or palm oil."
Located at the Borderplex Rail Transfer Facility in El Paso - part of the land rests in New Mexico - the company processes virgin oils like palm, soybean, cottonseed and canola, as well as yellow and brown greases, and animal fats.
"We're selling to Western Refinery; they're going to blend it with diesel," he said.
Diesel fuel is something Jones knows a lot about. He started Mesilla Valley Transportation with Ray in 1981. On its Web site - m-v-t.com - the company calls itself one of "the largest locally owned, full-service truckload transportation providers in the Southwest."
Jones, who started racing in the 1980s, said the county commissioners
"A lot of our racing knowledge we use in our trucking," he said.
In September, Mesilla Valley Transportation announced that it was starting to equip its full fleet of 3,500 long-haul trailers with TrailerTail rear air drag reducing devices. The company hopes the move will reduce the diesel fuel burned by its fleet by more than 1 million gallons annually and cut CO2 emissions.
"Every 10th of a mile a gallon (saved per truck) equals $16,000 a month," Jones said.
Jones started out as a driver himself. He used to drive and operate machinery for his father, who had a hardware store and a ready-mix concrete plant, and Jones bought his first truck when he was 19. Hauling grain in his own truck, Jones teamed with Ray to get into the produce business and chose Las Cruces.
He said the trucking industry feels downturns in the economy immediately.
"Trucking moves when people buy," he said.
He said 2010 was a "pretty decent year," and he sees the pace picking up even more this year.
Brook Stockberger can be reached at (575) 541-5457
Who is he?
Name: Royal Jones
Job: Owner of Mesilla Valley Transportation, Southern New Mexico Speedway, Global Alternative Fuels
Impact: Employees more than 1,000 workers and has started a company that produces biodiesel fuel.
